Hidden Talent

In the third programme in the series, the tests are designed to seek out one extraordinarily talented - but unknowing - linguist, whose way with words could change their life.

Three language experts - Dr Radia Kesseiri, Lecturer in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at The University of Leeds; Dr Anil Biltoo, Coordinator of Less Widely Taught Languages and a language teacher at the School of Oriental And African studies; and Major Eddie Trowbridge, The Defence School of Languages - all tested groups of people from across the UK using the MLAT (Modern Languages Aptitude Test), which requires participants to have no prior knowledge of foreign languages other than school level, ensuring only those with a natural talent for languages come through.

For the next test they are challenged by the language experts to work a shift as waiters in a Turkish-speaking restaurant, after only a day of Turkish lessons. The five hopefuls are thrown into the lunchtime service, tasked with recalling the menus and greetings they've learned and serving the correct food orders. It's a tall order.

The experts monitor their progress to see how well they perform under pressure and whether they have the practical skills to learn a complex language.

Surprisingly, it's 19-year-old James Whinnery, an A level drop-out, who impresses the experts and wins the chance to unlock his linguistic ability learning one of the world's most complex languages - Arabic.

When James came to the Hidden Talent test days he was living in a homeless hostel after falling out with his mother.

Having dropped out of his studies and with no full-time job, it's a huge opportunity for James as he's thrown into learning this extremely different language, not in the two or three years it takes most talented linguists to become fluent in Arabic, but in just 19 weeks.

Faced with this exciting but hugely daunting prospect, James takes on tasks such as ordering in Arabic in a restaurant, driving around London using an Arabic-speaking sat-nav, memorising nearly 100 words a day and getting to grips with a strange new alphabet and pronunciation.

During his training, James also reveals that this opportunity means much more to him than learning a new language: it is a chance for him to prove his true potential to himself and his family.

Nearing the final stages, James travels to Jordan to immerse himself in Middle Eastern culture and prepare for the ultimate challenge: a live interview on Jordanian breakfast television after only 19 weeks of learning Arabic.

But as the stress mounts, James struggles with old demons; he's anxious about failing and about his family situation. Will he crack under the pressure or pull off this unbelievable ask and open up a potentially different future?